1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a guitar strap and, more particularly, to a waist worn guitar strap to relieve neck and back pain.
2. Prior Art
Stringed instruments such as banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, guitars and the like are often played while the performer is standing and holding the instrument in front of their body. For most of these instruments, just positioning and holding the instrument in front of the body during performance is sufficient throughout the entire performance. Guitars, however, are somewhat singular in that the performer, during performance, often wishes to maneuver the instrument into positions other than the conventional front-of-the-body position.
Particularly in the field of rock music guitar players, it is quite common for guitarists to swing the guitar wildly about themselves, above their heads, and down near the floor or other supporting surface during the performance. With performances lasting up to several hours, holding the guitar in a playable position is extremely tiring and can cause sufficient fatigue in the performers' arms and hands as to reduce the performers' artistic abilities and speed. With no support for the guitar following these wild maneuvers, it becomes even more of a strain on the performer.
The prior art has attempted to provide support devices for relieving the arm strain from the performer by supporting the guitar and other stringed instruments through the use of belts or levers. Most of these prior art devices utilize straps that are passed over the shoulders, around the neck, or otherwise across the torso and terminate in clasps that may be attached to the stringed instrument to support it in front of the performer. However, they all share one common disadvantage.
Little thought has been given to providing the performer with the ability to carry on the wild gyrations of his/her body and of the stringed instruments, as is expected and common during personal performances, to allow the stringed instrument to be re-set or re-supported in the playing position, at the front of the performer's body, following cessation of these gyrations. Such an ability would allow the performer to continue playing the music without the stress and strain of continually supporting the instrument, or from interrupting their performance to reattach the guitar or other stringed instrument to the support structure.
Accordingly, a need remains for a guitar strap that overcomes the above-noted shortcomings.